By Robert Selwitz
Nature fans in search of something unique should head for Patagonia in southernmost South America. Shared by Argentina and Chile, a trifecta of wonders await those who can tolerate long-haul travel and challenging terrain in order to access extraordinary experiences and sights.
El Calafate, Argentina, should be the first stop. Some 1,700 miles south of Buenos Aires at latitude 50 degrees south (a nonstop flight of three hours and 20 minutes), this is a comfortable tourist town that offers easy access to Los Glacieres National Park (where Perito Moreno, the trekking center of El Chalten, and other massive glaciers such as Uppsala and Viedma are found), and excellent dining abounds.
A 50-mile, hourlong ride brings you to the stunning Perito Moreno glacier. One of the easternmost prongs of a massive, always-advancing Chilean Andes ice field, it's a truly awesome site. That's particularly the case when masses of ice break off and thunderously fall or "calve" into Lake Argentino. Incidentally, according to our guide, this lake — continuously fed by glacier melt — is, after Antarctica and Greenland, the world's third-largest source of fresh water.
One can spend hours here observing the glacier from many different angles, walking miles of trails (both natural and along metal walkways) and taking boat rides that go quite close to the ice wall itself. There are also age-restricted guided walks on a portion of the actual glacier.
Most important, from wherever you view Perito Moreno (choices include the well-equipped visitor center, extensive walkways or during glacial walks), the stunningly intense sky-blue color seeping out from glacial crevices is mesmerizing.
Bus tours are available in the park, but for groups of up to four hiring a car and driver for a daylong excursion that costs approximately $120 is a very good deal. Not only is the per-person rate much less than two or more bus tickets, but you control your own time at the glacier.
On the way back to town ask the driver to stop at the 3-year-old Glaciarium museum. Here the focus is on glacial activity — the transformation of snow to glacial ice and glaciers around the world — with the main focus upon explorer Perito Moreno. There's a movie and display about Francesco Moreno, whose honorary name — Perito, meaning expert or specialist — now is part of the famous glacier's moniker.
The next part of the trifecta is Chile's Torres del Paine National Park.
A vast area of extraordinary scenery ideal for serious outdoor-oriented adventurers, it features one outstanding property, the upscale, 50-room, Explora Patagonia Hotel Salto Chico. It is located some 280 miles from Punta Arenas and 118 miles from Puerto Natales, Chile, and my wife and I reached the property via a seven-hour overland ride from El Calafate, Argentina. Punctuated by watching life in the grasslands and occasional sightings of sheep farms and guanachos, the journey's real payoff came when we reached the magnificently appointed and beautifully managed upscale natural oasis.
Assuming a moderate degree of fitness, interest and experience in coping with the outdoors, Explora's lovely setting, good food, superb guides, informative lectures and a very friendly atmosphere make it truly something special. Full- and half-day mountain hikes fill the three full days most guests spend here. Each evening you choose from next-day options described by the savvy and helpful guides. Choices range from mildly to intensely challenging.
Among the most popular is a van photo safari that puts visitors in the midst of a herd of wild guanacos and viewing breathtaking geological formations. A sumptuous barbecue follows.
Among dozens of hiking options, sometimes the designation is a bit off. For instance, an "easy" beach walk and climb to a glacier viewing point takes almost four hours and includes more than three miles of walking after arrival by van at a ranger station.
On a rare, windless day there would have been no problem with the distance or duration needed to cross a beach fronting the Grey Glacier with icebergs along the shore, then climb up to a scenic viewpoint. But a galelike blast we had to fight during the return made this anything but easy.
A "moderate" sojourn of two and a half miles leads to Condor Vista Point, which features sweeping park views and the prospect of encountering a variety of birdlife that includes — hopefully — condors.
For those who can handle "difficult" options there's a walk to the base of the Paine Towers (the namesake of the park). The hike involves eight to nine hours of walking 10.6 miles and goes through centuries-old beech forests and past gorges. Then participants climb roughly 1,100 feet of glacial moraine to reach the vista point. A picnic lunch is included, and vans transport trekkers to and from the site.
After all this we began a complete change of pace. After a five-hour van ride to Punta Arenas, we boarded the 4-year-old, 210 passenger Stella Australis for a four-day voyage through South America's southernmost waters.
En route to Ushuaia, Argentina, we saw and visited amazing glaciers, trekked through fascinating terrains and docked at the edge of Tucker Island, home of Magellenic penguins. As we headed back in our hard rubber Zodiacs to the Australis, we were escorted by a group of dolphins that swam alongside.
This typified our twice-daily excursions, each via a Zodiac, intended to put us as close as possible to very special natural experiences. Most importantly, many of these calls were only possible because the 292-foot Australis was small enough to navigate challenging waters. Larger vessels, such as conventional cruise ships, are too big or have deep draft requirements that make safely accessing these narrow, often shallow channels impossible.
The Australis' capacity matched with the assistance of an excellent crew meant Zodiac excursions ran smoothly and efficiently. This would not have been possible had the passenger complement been much larger.
Other highlights included viewing the Pia Glacier; sailing through "Glacier Alley," where we saw five different glaciers during approximately 45 minutes; and visiting several Tierra del Fuego sites that included Wulaia Bay. This is where the HMS Beagle, the vessel carrying Charles Darwin, stopped to return a native who had earlier been taken to England. Also here is a museum detailing interactions between the Yamaha native people who once dominated the area and the outsiders who supplanted them.
Then there was Cape Horn, where we spent several fascinating hours. Though the cape's notorious weather sometimes make landings impossible, the skies were clear when we were there, enabling us to walk up the wooden staircase to reach a monument that honors sailors lost trying to navigate the cape's treacherous waters.
Aboard ship one real plus is the sizable cabins with comfortable bathrooms and virtually floor-to-ceiling windows. The food is pleasantly varied and tasty, the historical and preparatory lectures are excellent, and the overall ambience is relaxed and informative.
The Australis can be boarded either in Punta Arenas or Ushuaia, each of which can be reached by connections in Buenos Aires, Argentina, or Santiago, Chile. Getting to the Explora lodge requires a land link from Calafate, Argentina, or Punta Arenas, Chile.
WHEN YOU GO
In El Calafate, try Casimiro Bigua, the parrilla asador/steakhouse at Libertador 993: www.casimirobigua.com
Explora Patagonia Hotel Salto Chico: www.explora.com
Stella Australis: www.australis.com
Robert Selwitz is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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